You’ve taken a wrong turn. It’s cold, you’re wet, and you’ve run out of food. The backcountry can be an unforgiving place once your outdoor technology fails. A “No Service” indicator on your phone tells you all you need to know. When you reach your limit of self-reliance, you default to your level of training. Could you trust yours?
The world is smaller than ever, thanks to internet technology like Starlink. Mobile satellite technology the size of a book is no longer just another gadget to throw in your pack. It’s changing what adventure, safety and disconnection mean for the modern outdoorsman.
Starlink is only one part of that shift. Outdoor apps, offline maps, satellite messengers, emergency beacons and weather tools have all made it easier to travel deeper, stay longer and feel safer in remote places. But it’s also made it harder to stay present in the great outdoors.
Used properly, this new outdoor technology can save lives. Used carelessly, it can also create a dangerous illusion: that connection is the same thing as competence.
According to Phys.org, 81% of people who venture outdoors into hills and mountains now rely primarily on digital maps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps or AllTrails on their mobile devices. That little blue dot has become a safety blanket for millions. The question is what happens when the screen goes black.
How Has Safety Technology Changed Self-Reliance?
The trend of being transfixed by the little blue dot, rather than paying attention to your surroundings and self-reliance, is one that is fraught with potential danger. The reality is, it has never been easier to be underprepared and still get from A to B in the middle of nowhere.
Kyt Lyn Walken of The Way of Tracking Mantracking School is the Official European Representative and Instructor for Hull’s Tracking School in Virginia and a certified Conservation Ranger with Conservation Rangers Operations Worldwide Inc. She spends more of her time in the wilderness than anywhere else, and believes that wild places still demand something technology cannot provide.
“Personally, wilderness represents one of the few places where people are fully responsible for their decisions and consequences”, Walken reminds us, at a time when it is easy to blame inanimate objects for human errors of judgement.
“In the backcountry, there are no shortcuts, no immediate external support, and very few distractions. The environment demands attention, adaptability, and humility. Wilderness is valuable because it provides an opportunity to develop resilience, judgment, and a deeper connection with the natural world.”
This is the part modern technology can obscure. GPS Apps, satellite messengers, and digital maps can all make the outdoors safer, but they can also make preparation feel optional. For some people, the screen becomes less of a tool and more of a crutch.
Carly Brasseux Latham, AKA Miss Pursuit, is at the forefront of helping first-generation hunters, and women in particular, enter the outdoors sphere. She has a word of warning for those who rely too much on technology and being connected, rather than learning the basics about outdoor self-reliance.
“The obvious danger is that the gear fails,” Latham said. “I’ve seen how fast batteries can drain in the freezing high country, or how easily a phone can get ruined in a sudden downpour or a creek crossing.
“If my entire backup plan, or my understanding of public-private property borders, lives solely on a screen, I am completely exposed the second that screen goes black. That is a terrifying moment to realize I’m a day and a half into the backcountry and I have no idea which ridge leads back to the trailhead.”
Jim Baird, the extreme arctic survivalist and adventurer, reflected on how the outdoors community has been here before.
“Before the compass, people navigated with the stars etc.; after GPS, people don’t know how to use a compass anymore,” Baird explains. “Relying on technology out there does not activate our brains in the same kind of way and therefore our brains will not develop the same way.
“For example, if you consistently challenge your brain to think about direction, distance, and mental maps without relying on technology, your brain changes in several distinct ways. For one, you will gain a heightened sense of environmental awareness.
“How will this play out as we rely on the internet while we’re outdoors? What will we lose collectively?”
Technology Should Supplement, Not Replace Traditional Skills
Walken, who has trained special forces personnel from around the world in tracking and navigational skills, has been at the coal face of the technological advancements, which have opened up the outdoors. She is not dismissive of them, but she is clear about where the line should be drawn.
“Technology has fundamentally transformed outdoor recreation,” Walken told Hook & Barrel. “Navigation has shifted from paper maps and compass work to GPS-enabled smartphones and satellite navigation systems.
“Weather forecasting has become significantly more accurate and accessible, allowing people to make informed decisions before and during trips. Communication devices have also reduced the isolation traditionally associated with wilderness travel.
“These developments have made outdoor activities more accessible and safer for a broader population. However, they have also reduced some of the uncertainty and self-reliance that historically characterized wilderness travel.
“Many outdoor users now depend heavily on technology rather than developing traditional backcountry skills. Personally, I like to combine natural navigation with mantracking skills.”
That’s a distinction that matters. The strongest outdoorsmen are not the ones who reject technology outright. They are the ones who understand its limits. A GPS app, satellite device, or weather alert can be invaluable in the right moment, but it should sit on top of judgment, preparation, and traditional skills, not replace them.
The message is simple: technology should supplement any outdoor skill set. It should not be the foundation of it.
Technology’s False Sense of Security
Before a foot is even set in the wilderness, hikers, hunters, and novice outdoorsmen are already taking bigger risks than they need to. This is not always because they are reckless. Sometimes it is because they assume help, or rescue, is only a click or a phone call away because of the apps and tech tools at their disposal.
“Constant connectivity can contribute to skill decay when individuals rely excessively on technology instead of developing fundamental competencies,” warns Walken. “Examples include navigation, route finding, weather interpretation, and emergency planning.
“Connectivity may also create a false sense of security. Some individuals assume they can simply call for assistance if conditions deteriorate, which can reduce the emphasis placed on preparation and risk assessment. In reality, communication systems can fail due to terrain, weather, battery depletion, or equipment malfunction.
“From a tactical perspective, technology should function as a force multiplier rather than a substitute for knowledge and judgment. The strongest backcountry travelers maintain traditional skills and use technology as an additional layer of capability.”
To put it another way, a belt-and-braces approach remains prudent when venturing into the backcountry.
“Emergency beacons offer a critical last-resort option during life-threatening situations,” Walken adds. “However, users should not become dependent on them.
“Every backcountry traveler should understand navigation fundamentals, carry contingency plans, and anticipate equipment failure. Technology is most effective when combined with training, preparation, and sound decision-making.”
Latham has felt her own parameters adjust as connectivity becomes more mainstream.
“For all the good technology has done, it's changed what I consider ‘prepared‘,” Latham said.
“It has shifted my risk assessment to where I feel far more comfortable and confident in the backcountry, simply because I know I can download offline maps on onX, drop precise waypoints, and always have a direct line to friends, family, or emergency services with a tool like a Garmin inReach.
“But if I'm being completely honest, I’ve also become overreliant on these apps, and I think a lot of us in the hunting and outdoors community have. We’ve collectively leaned so hard into the convenience of technology that we’re doing less of the heavy lifting ourselves.
“We spend less time truly studying a top layer before we hit the trailhead, and we don't think as critically about our backup plans because we just assume the blue dot on the screen will always be there to save us.
“It's a quiet shift in our community's mindset, and it’s a dangerous place to start our adventures.”
If experienced outdoors experts are concerned, then it suggests that overconfident novices are increasingly at risk.
Technology, Outdoors, and Disconnecting From Modern Life
Whether it is to go hunting, fishing, or just to go for a wander and take in some fresh air, the ability to disconnect from the stresses of social media, work, and the “real world” remains one of the outdoors’ most endearing qualities.
Staying connected helps to provide a safety blanket, but Walken believes that outdoorsmen can benefit from logging off too.
“I believe disconnection is often an important component of the wilderness experience, although not an absolute requirement,” Walken said.
“Being disconnected encourages people to become more observant, self-reliant, and present in their surroundings. Without constant notifications, social media, and online communication, individuals often engage more deeply with the environment and with their own decision-making processes.”
Baird has a different perspective. If more people appreciate what is on their doorstep with the help of technology, so too does the number of people who care about protecting it.
“Since so many people’s work is tied in some way to the internet nowadays, maybe it means there will be more people in remote wilderness places than before,” Baird said. “That is not great if you want solitude; however, I am one of those people who can stay in remote places longer because of it.
“And maybe that’s not bad either, as if more people spend time outdoors, more people will gain a passion for it, and there will be more people to stand up for it. But at the same time, it does change the dynamic in remote places if you have the internet running 24 7. I was at a remote fly-in moose camp in Newfoundland last fall, and the guides told me how it changed life there as people were all on their phones now.”
Getting away from it all, being disconnected and isolated, is what attracts a lot of people to the wilderness. But if internet connectivity makes the backcountry easier to access, easier to work from and easier to stay plugged into, could it change how we enjoy the outdoors forever?
“Honestly, my favorite part of being in the backcountry is that I should be disconnected from my phone and all the distractions it brings”, Latham told H&B.
“The true magic of being outdoors lives in the physical discomfort, the heavy pack, the silence on a lonely ridge, and the mental stillness that happens when my brain finally stops running its usual daily loops.
“If we don't actively choose to put the screen away, we risk being physically present in the mountains but completely absent from the actual experience.”
What To Do When Your Signal Dies Outdoors
Latham openly admits that, despite her experience, she is having to make a conscious effort not to become complacent.
“My ability to navigate confidently by identifying topography features, or keeping my head straight when a screen freezes, are things I now have to actively work at to keep sharp,” Latham said.
“They don't maintain themselves just because I'm wearing camo and carrying a tag. I have to consciously choose to practice those traditional skills, and when my apps make everything so effortless, it's easy to get lazy. I think a lot of us fall into that exact same trap.”
Walken, as one of the best mantrackers in the world, has firsthand experience of the skills that could save your life if technology fails.
“Reactions vary considerably, but several common patterns emerge,” Latham explained, when asked how people react when they realise that they are lost.
“Initial responses often include confusion, denial, frustration, and anxiety. As uncertainty increases, stress can impair judgment and decision-making.
“A common mistake is impulsive movement. People frequently continue traveling without a clear plan, which can worsen their situation and complicate search-and-rescue efforts. Others become fixated on reaching a perceived destination and ignore evidence that they are off route.
“Individuals with training are more likely to pause, assess their location, conserve energy, review available resources, and develop a deliberate plan.
“They focus on priorities such as shelter, water, navigation, communication, and signaling. From a tactical standpoint, the most effective response is to stop, control emotions, evaluate the situation objectively, and make decisions based on available information rather than fear. Maintaining a calm mindset is often the most important survival skill when someone becomes lost.”
The option is there to stay in touch with the world, if you want it. But if you venture into dangerous territory without the required basics or training, you are not becoming more adventurous. You are outsourcing your safety, and potentially your life, to a battery, a signal and a screen.
Maybe it’s better to pack that map and compass after all.
